Leaving on a jet plane

So i found out that my lil sis (ok shes only one year younger but the 'lil' makes her sound all cute and cuddly) is off to the Big Apple in October.  Dear readers, i think i just turned a pale shade of green. Not only because she will be in New York for Halloween - New Yorkers know how to do a good costume, fact - but also because, well...its New York! So good they named it twice and all that jazz.  I've been twice already during which I got fat (but happy) on Magnolia's Cupcakes, perved shamelessly at Abercrombie models, wandered wide-eyed around Greenwich Village in a 'oh-its-so-bohemian-i-could-totally-live-here-and-eat-outside-expensive-cafes-with-my-trilby-and-fellow-bohemians" kinda way. And oh, you haven't lived until you've been to Max Brenner's Chocolate Restaurant in Union Square.  Myself and mother Bleakley stumbled across this one by accident (Lonely Planet, you can keep your guidebooks) and even though we had just eaten an hour beforehand, we decided that being the Bleakleys we were, we had a special compartment in our respective stomachs reserved just for chocolate. Christ alive it was glorious, even though it took a good two months worth of spin classes and laps in the pool to compensate for the calories.  So yes, as soon as the sis has a couch sorted i'll be there with bells on, clutching my Max Brenner reservation.  

Other news, Joey managed to let slip that he's taking me to Paris! tray tray exciting non?!  I'm beside myself at the thought of getting to meet Mickey Mouse (my favourite mouse of all the mice i'll have you know) and most of all,  having a good belly laugh at Joey's 'rollercoaster face' in the photos...which i imagine to be something like this 

Off to Belfast this weekend to see my girls and to drain my bank account of all dignity in Victoria Square - should be a good 'un after this week in which my to-do list seemed to re-populate as soon as i managed to tick anything off.  FFS.  I also get to coo at the girls swanky new flat and gorge myself in fifteens.  I still don't get the lack of love in Dublin for a good fifteen, so i will shamelessly plug them right here, to all 3 of my readers *cough*.  Go treat yourself to this lovely marshmallow-y, biscuit-y goodness dear readers, in a mere 10 mins eternal happiness is yours!

My toilet has a twin!

'tis as random as a sock in a pickle factory alright, but earlier today i decided that just as we humans need a special someone to walk along the beach with or feed us spaghetti, our standard bog needs to feel he's not alone in the world.  So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled across toilettwinning.org run by the lovely people at Tearfund who literally want to flush away poverty.  I'm all for a bit of philanthropy to brighten up the daily humdrum of life, especially when charities think outside the box and come up with a gem of an idea like this one.  For a mere 60 squid, your toilet is 'twinned' with another in Burgundi, Africa, and a shiny certificate stating the same is winging its way to me right this moment.  

Now my guests will have something to muse on whilst they answer the call of nature, and I now have a tray tray amusing fact to share at dinner parties.  Actually, i'm going to start throwing dinner parties just so i can regale my fellow guests with this little nugget.  I can point it out on Google Maps using the grid reference i receive should said dinner guests choose not believe me and remain transfixed on their beef wellington. Fools.

Whats more, Paul Daniels has a toilet twin according to the site.  If its good enough for Mr Daniels.....

Self-improvement, Enrique and squatting!

So theres all manners of things i should be doing now; packing, paying bills, washing my sunday bests so i have something half decent and co-ordinated to wear at the weekend, feeding myself and remembering to buy some mouthwash on the way home from work (doh!).

Jebus, i really should get a hobby to break up all this excitement.  Oh speaking of which, i'm going to grace the RDS with my presence this Sunday since finding out that the Course Expo 2010 runs this weekend (*fanfare*).  This is a not-so-subtle attempt to inject some pizzazz into my weekdays since I found that I was looking forward to the weekends way too much at the expense of the 4 other days that we have to make up our calendars.  It goes like this: Sunday, urgh-day, meh-day, pah-day, humph-day....FRIDAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!.  Not good huh? So lads, i'm going to get me some skills and learn something new for one day a week.  Ah yes, another string to my bow what with my juggling, knowledge of the offside rule and ability to slam a revolving door.  Some people would die happy with that i guess, but i'm going to have a shot at something new.

I had my Norn Iron girls over at the weekend for some banter which was long overdue.  My best friend has fallen in love: cue lots of inappropriate questions about the awl fella in in a blatant attempt to verify that he is indeed not a carbon copy of the last one (who i will admit, i didn't warm to...).  Indeed, he sounds really rather lovely!  Not so lovely, was the dude at the bar on Friday night who fancied himself as a bit of an Enrique Inglesias, grabbing my sis onto the dancefloor, slobbering all over her.  Well, colour me unimpressed. I think sis found the whole overprotective sister act quite amusing, but let me tell you, when i made a beeline for the two of them just as he was leaning towards her face with his slobbery face, i was a woman on a mission.  Managed to rescue the girl, night was salvaged.

The flatmate has taken herself off to America for a bit of state-hopping fun (i'm not jealous at all. obviously.) Which means i have Number 19 all to myself!  First thing i did was dig out the trainers, make some Rachael-shaped space in the living room, and pop my Davina McCall fitness DVD in.  It was one of those 'can't-face-the-gym-but-need-to-sweat' days, and on days like that, Davina's yer woman.  I squatted, crunched and star-jumped my way to fabulousness....and then ruined it all with a Galaxy Ripple afterwards. As much as i love Davina, it does tick me right off when she tries to be one of us mere mortals; the woman has abs you could do your washing on yet she still pretends she's about to double over in pain by the time shes done two measely crunches.  For added authenticity, she does that weird gurning thing with her face.  who are you trying to kid darlin'.  

   

When I'm 65....

....ima gona take a leaf out of this lady's book and give it sum in the bakery aisle in Tescos.

Big news lads, I'm going on holiday with a boy.  Yes, a BOY!!  I will leave a pause here for my dear readers to contemplate this revelation.......





........all good? OK great.  So yeah, Joey earned himself a truckload of boyfriend points today when he had a "what the hell" moment and booked a flight for the two of us to somewhere faraway and fabulous.  Have already been placing bets with Picardo, Stevenson and others as to where I will be on 23rd September (dun dun duuuuuuuunnnn!) but my money is on somewhere beginning with 'K' or 'R' or 'P'.  Yes, thats a legit bet dammit. I'm so excited i may have done a little dance while no-one was watching.

back from the brink

Three cheers for being back in the blogosphere! Have wenched myself from the clutches of Facebook and de-tagging horrendous photos of myself to preoccupying myself with some delightful blogs of late (disclaimer: shameless plug coming up) namely A Chick Named Hermia and White Rabbit. Go read.

So as you can tell, je suis inspired. I was one of those deluded dreamers who proudly declared during my mid-teen crisis that I was going to be a writer for the rest of my days; unkempt hair, green tea and glasses i don't need but felt it added to the overall visage. This was pretty short-lived once i discovered my inner health freak (cycling like a mad thing at breakneck speed was the new black) and that i was in fact, a TV junkie;  literature was something to bother with when there was nothing exciting on the box.

So here i am again, almost two years down the line and all the wiser than when i first started as a shy lil Christian girl from the sticks in Norn Iron branching out on her own in Dublin.

I'm pleased to say i've emerged mostly unscathed. I reside in a lovely apartment when i've no plans, have built up a lovely social circle of all sorts of colourful characters (and some who are just completely unhinged). I have managed to hold onto my job and use the rewards to pay for holidays and tops i don't need from asos.com. I have exciting travel plans for Asia this summer and one of my good friends is having a baby (just the thought of seeing a mini, cuter version of said friend is enough to send me on a mad spree in Mothercare)

The proverbial cherry on top however, is that somebody loves me. Yes, that love where you have access to unlimited cuddles, random cute text messages in the middle of work, catching their eye in a crowded room and knowing what they're thinking, having a code language, literally jumping with glee when they have texted to say that they are 5 mins from your building, someone randomly telling you you're beautiful when you are just watching a film on tv (Katherine Heigl 0 -1 Rachael). altogether now: awwwww!

I have very good intentions of filling this post with lil randomisms about my life gone by and fun happenings as they come. Headig out now for a few drinksies with friends so i'm leaving you in the name of craic, but i'll be back (hey, that rhymes!)

R x

a lil update...

nope i haven't fallen off the face of the earth.
still working like a trooper in Dublin.
no, the novelty of the free food has not worn off yet (uh-oh!)
can now make small talk about the weather in Irish Sign Language.
my team won a football match last night (hurrah!)
am missing my mum a lil if i'm honest.
i "exceed expectations"...always good to know.
....Thank Goodness Its Friday!